Swamp Thing (1982)
| running time = 91 min. | country = USA | language = English | budget = $3,000,000 | gross revenue = | preceded by = | followed by = Return of Swamp Thing (1989) }} Swamp Thing is an American horror film of the swamp monster subgenre. It is based on the ''Swamp Thing'' comic book series published by DC Comics. The movie was written and directed by Wes Craven based upon concepts originally developed by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson. The film was produced by Embassy Pictures and released theatrically in the United States on February 19th, 1982. A poorly received sequel, The Return of Swamp Thing, was directed by Jim Wynorski and released in 1989. The movie also spun-out into a Swamp Thing live-action television series on USA Network in 1990 as well as a short-lived Swamp Thing animated series, which aired only five episodes on the FOX Network in 1991. Swamp Thing stars future Reaper Devil Ray Wise as Doctor Alec Holland, a scientist who develops a formula to promote plant growth in harsh environments. French actor Louis Jourdan stars opposite him as Doctor Anton Arcane - an unscrupulous businessman who arranges for Holland to be killed, only to unwittingly set into motion events that lead to Alec Holland being transformed into a green, pulpy power house called the Swamp Thing (portrayed by Dick Durock). Also starring in the film is Adrienne Barbeau as Alice Cable - a federal agent assigned to protect the Hollands, David Hess as Ferret and Nicholas Worth as Bruno - two of Arcane's henchmen. Plot Cast Notes & Trivia * Swamp Thing was first released on DVD in Region 1 format by MGM Home Video on August 1st, 2000. This was the original 93 minute uncut version. The theatrical version of the film was released by MGM on August 23rd, 2005. The movie was released on Blu-ray with digital copy by Shout! Factory on August 6th, 2013. * The characters of Alec Holland, Linda Holland, Anton Arcane, Ferret and Bruno are all based on characters from the comic book series and first appeared in ''Swamp Thing'' #1 in November, 1972. Everyone else in the film is either a pastiche of an established character or is unique to the continuity of the film series. * The character of Alice Cable is actually a combination of two different characters from the comic book: Abigail Arcane and Matthew Cable. In the comics, Abigail Arcane is the niece of Anton Arcane and becomes the longterm love interest of Alec Holland. Matthew Cable is a government agent charged with protecting the Hollands during their experiments. Abigail Arcane is actually introduced in the series in The Return of Swamp Thing'', where she is played by actress Heather Locklear. * In the film, Linda Holland is revealed to be Alec Holland's sister. In the comics, she is his wife. * The theatrical release of the film ran 91 minutes. The uncut version ran for 93 minutes, which includes a longer scene of Adrienne Barbeau bathing, which includes full topless nudity, as well as a scene at Bruno's party where two women can be seen stripping. Barbeau's scenes can be found on the 2000 DVD release of the film, but not the 2005 version. Recommendations See also External Links * * * * * Swamp Thing at Wikipedia * * * References ---- Category:Films Category:1982 films Category:1st installments Category:Embassy Pictures Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Category:Al Ruban Category:Ben Bates Category:Dov Gottesfeld